Today, I would like to take the time to say: Thank you. For everything you've done for me. For your support, your kindness, your love, and your readership.

Without you, readers/friends/mentors/writers, there would be no me.

"The Earl's Son" is over 70% written. I can't wait to show it to the world.

I know I would probably write something else, but I have two manuscripts who need my utmost attention right now. Soon, I won't have the time to spend on them and I must embrace every moment I do have immersed in my writing. :)

If you've ever finished a manuscript, you know what I'm talking about. Of course, once you are past the middle it's almost smooth sailing. I think beginnings and middles are the hardest parts to write because so much rides upon these scenes. The beginning is what readers/editors see first. It is what grabs their attention. Middles can also make or break your book. Its the part in the story where your hero/heroine must make an important choice or is a turning point for the plot in the novel.

When we get to this point, sometimes the story may sag a bit and we lose focus on where our characters are headed. Don't give up, though. When I get stuck in the dreaded middle, I start working on the structure of my work in progress. If I make the plot go this way, then how will it affect my characters?

I've learned a new technique for making sure the characters' background is revealed during the turning points in the novel.

Karen's Tips:1. Count the number of pages you have, or "projected" pages you should have if you aren't finished with the book. Remember that certain genres have specific word counts. Let's say Regency Romance has a general word count of 70,000. To find out how many manuscript pages that is divide 70,000 by 250 words per double space page. This is about 280 manuscript pages.

2. Divide the page number by four. (280 divided by four equals 70.)

3. Mark off your pages by that number into three parts. In a 280 page book, mark pages 70, 140, and 210.

4. Within those chapters should be a turning point for one or both of your main characters. They must make a decision, or come to some kind of conclusion. In the rest of the chapter or chapter after that, one or both must then take some action because of that decision or conclusion.

Usually if you are stuck on a certain passage in the work in progress, then it means you either don't know or haven't decided what that crucial decision or conclusion your character has made or will make in that scene.

Ask these questions to learn more:-Look at the scenes individually: What decision does the hero and/or heroine have to make here?-How will that decision/conclusion make the hero and/or heroine act?-How will that action move one or both of them to the next major decision point?- At the middle of your book: In what way will this decision get them in trouble by the third turning point or "dark moment"?-Have I included enough background and history to give my reader a good idea why my character (s) have to make their decision?-Does their thoughts and emotions reflect this decision?

Next time, when you hit the middle of the book blues, you'll be prepared. Thank you so much for reading. Do you have any tips on overcoming writer's block? Please share in a comment below.

Hello, readers! As you all know it's Friday the 13th. This is a happy day for me. Although, I never figured out why, there seems to be something in the air that makes me smile despite anything. For fun, I've decided to evaluate my cat's actions and justify them into short lessons I've learned from life. I'm not one of those people who consider their pet one of their children. Muffin is my best friend and lady's companion, if you will.

For those who are interested, Muffin (pictured at left) is my 5 year old tailless rescue kitty. She is very sweet and generally a very happy cat no matter what. I envy her attitude towards life sometimes.

Here are Muffin's life lessons:
1) Don't sweat the small stuff.
Like every good pet owner, I take her to the vet. She hates her black carrier so much I have to trick her to get into it. Luckily, after the horrible experience is over with, she'll get out and not look at me for a couple hours. Then when it comes down to feeding time, she won't ignore me anymore. I realized that despite everything she goes through (whether she likes it or not), is just a small hurdle in her life. No matter how upset my cat gets at me--through dirty looks or otherwise--she is over it within 24 hours. Some people hold grudges for years. We seem to hover in the past and continue to blame the same people over and over for our mistakes. When something stressful happens, we tend to lose sight of what is good in our lives. We don't see what really matters. No matter how mad Muffin is, she knows I'm the one who cares for her. And that is the most important thing.

2) Always dream bigger than you are.
Muffin is a certified window kitty. What cat isn't? Humans get to leave the small home world for something most cats never truly understand. The outdoors. We must realize that animals think differently than us. The world may be big to us, but to them, the neighborhood (or yard) is a dream. All they want is to chase birds and squirrels in the grass. Fortunately as humans, we know there is more to the outdoors than a few birds. There are cars, beaches, skyscrapers, and mountains. Since we see these things everyday, they don't seem like a big deal to us at all. When you start a project in hopes it will become successful, broaden your horizons. You are but a speck in the universe, and at the same time you are unique. Use this knowledge for your own purpose. No one can write like you can, no one can dream like you can. Reach new audiences.

3) Never give up.
This is one of my favorite life lessons. My cat likes to rub my legs or "meow" when she is hungry. No new information there. Well, if I don't pay attention to her...she will do it again. This is probably one of the most prolific examples of a cat's propensity never to quit. Of course hunger plays a big factor in it, but what about when Muffin tries to jump onto her cat tree and falls. She doesn't walk away, she tries again. Rejection should never be an excuse to give up on what you love doing. Find something that motivates you enough to keep trying.

4) Always look at the world through curious eyes.
Unlike some animals, we take things for granted. Every time I've moved with Muffin (about 4 or 5 times) she's explored the whole house/apartment with her nose. She wanted to know every nook and cranny, every hidden corner. She is the epitome of nosy, but she is the only one who knows exactly what she looks for. Don't be afraid to question yourself or others. Sometimes, knowing the whole truth about something/someone can mean everything. If I don't know something, I'll ask. I'd rather be informed then misinformed. Wouldn't you?

5) Love unconditionally.
Muffin, well more like pets in general, love their owners unconditionally. When you choose to fall in love or care about someone, do it without conditions. Race, sex, height, length, weight, etc. don't really matter in the long run. When it comes down to it, the only thing that matters is whether the love is returned or not. We don't judge the animals we love, why should we judge the people?

I know this post wasn't writing-related, but I think these life lessons are good to know. We could all use them on our writing journey. Do you live with a dog, ferret, hamster, etc.? I'd love to know your learned lessons. Please feel free to provide input in a comment below and subscribe if you haven't already!

As I write this blog, I will officially be halfway through writing my work in progress (the unofficially named The Earl's Son). I've been working steadily for almost 6 months on this novel and this is a big accomplishment. Of course, after I hit the 45,000 word mark, I could stop, but I think this might be a 60-70,000 word book. It's predecessor was over 70,000. There is something about large books that fascinates me. Maybe because they take so much longer to read. In my spare time, I've been reading 200-page Regency romance books that I bought for cheap at the flea market, due to their out-of-date nature. I love them to death, but I could read one in two days (not reading all day mind you). Even if I loved the story so much, I wouldn't be completely satisfied. That is why most authors write series. So they could have a shorter story in multiple volumes. I'm used to reading Stephen King. Although, I don't have enough ideas to fill 1,000-pages worth, I really enjoyed the story better when it took me longer to finish.

One such work is from Lavyrle Spencer called "November of the Heart". I read this book over 5 years ago without a literary standpoint, and the story line pulled me in. When I reread it this week, I realized the author used omniscient POV (Oh, no!), head-hopped, and used more dialogue than tags--you know, the she said, he said action bits. Despite these overlooked errors, I absorbed the book's wonderful story line, plot, and character development that inspired my early work so long ago. Pretty Lorna Barnett grew into a lady before our eyes, and handsome Norwegian boat builder Jens Harken showed her what was most important in life...love and family...despite their different social statuses. I felt satisfied when I closed the book and this is ALL that matters to me. Of course, part of the upstairs/downstairs romance plot is you never know if the h/H will have a HEA. I love these types...

As I get closer and closer to finishing the first draft, I start planning my revision process. I will admit, it's not my favorite part, but it's a crucial part of the creation process. You might even find pleasure in it. Here are some tips I've found that will help me along the way:

1)Plan your revisions before you finish writing the book. Some people make a list, while others use sticky notes to go through each scene and do the necessary repairs. I use index cards where I write the name of each chapter, which point of view the chapter is in, who the main characters are, what the setting is, then I list and describe the plot(s), list the key information, and lastly, I write how many pages the chapter is. This can be done before or after your novel is complete. Of course, if you wait until after you'll have all the chapters written already!

2) Once the book is complete, wait a couple weeks before reading it, again. The old adage 'time makes the heart grow fonder' is so true. We may love our work now, but once we forget what we wrote (focus on another project or occupy your mind elsewhere), we look at the work with a whole new and different perspective. You'll want to go over the story several times afterwards.

3) In the first draft, focus on grammar and spelling correction. We must spot what is easily seen before we delve much deeper into the story and really understand the meaning. Missing commas, misspelled words, etc., could stop any further revision in its tracks.

4) In the second draft, go over the plot/conflict/dialogue/theme. Some people use the sticky notes, lists, or index cards for this exercise. I place each index card in order and if something is out of place I'd move them around until they made complete sense with the story, then I make the changes in my draft. I've heard some authors make a storyboard, where their lists are expanded to display more information like character information, including their thoughts, feelings, etc., and the author would reorganize this as well. Usually to combat this, the plot description I write on the card includes the main character's feelings, thoughts, and dialogue to reflect what happens around him or her.

5) In the third draft, cut unnecessary words and sentences. According to "On Writing", Stephen King tells the writer to cut 10% from their finished project. You may wonder, why so much?, but some people say you should cut more. The reason being, if you have a large work, most of what you include is probably not needed. Unless every word you write furthers the plot, at least try to tighten some of your work. When I say "tighten" I mean condense. When you evaluate your re-worked scenes, there are questions to ask yourself like: Would this bore the reader? If yes, cut it! Does this scene further the plot, up the stakes for the characters, or provide conflict? If no, cut it! Finding the right questions to ask is the easy part, choosing what to cut on the other hand could make even the most stoic writer shed tears. If you get rid of a sentence or line you hold dear, paste it into another word document to reformat for use in another story. You'd never know it belonged until you tried!

As you can see, even YOU can revise a novel. If you have any more tips or tricks, I'd love to hear them. Just leave a comment below. Oh, and don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already!